Written Answers Wednesday 21 October 2009

Scottish Executive

2014 Commonwealth Games

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will spend on transport projects associated with the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid document, broken down by project and expenditure.

Stewart Stevenson: Current projected spend on transport projects already under construction or planned and associated with the 2014 Commonwealth Games include:

  

Project Title
Estimated Cost


M74 completion
£692 million 


M80 upgrade
£320 million


Airdrie to Bathgate rail upgrade, including three new stations (Caldercruix, Blackridge and Armadale) and two relocated stations (Bathgate and Drumgelloch)
£300 million to £375 million


M8* (i) Associated Network Improvements (ANI) (ii) Ballieston - Newhouse(iii) Raith Interchange
(i) £53 - £63 million(ii) £170 - £210 million(iii) £56 - £61 million


Access for All railway station enhancements:(i) Mount Florida - £2.3 million(ii) Barrhead - £0.9 million(iii) Rutherglen - £1.4 million (iv) Motherwell - £3.5 million(v) Dalmuir - £3.3 million(vi) Easterhouse - £0.8 million(vii) Hyndland - £4.0 million
Total for Schemes (i) - (vii): £16.1 million**


Smarter Choices, Smarter Places
Glasgow - East End Accessibility: £1.3 million 


Access for All Small Schemes Fund 2009-10
Approved in principle; bid awaited from City Council. Fund of £0.7 million.



  Notes:

  *Subject to outcome of public local inquiry.

  **Total may not add due to roundings.

  Additional investment in transport which will support the Commonwealth Games will be: Scotrail franchise support, Edinburgh to Glasgow rail improvements project and Glasgow to Paisley main line and Central station improvements. We shall work with partners SPT and Glasgow City Council to develop and deliver an integrated ticketing system for the games. We shall enhance public transport through the station improvements mentioned above which, in turn, complement our commitment and that of others to ensuring the successful delivery of a refurbished Dalmarnock station. Finally, while regrettable, the cancellation of Glasgow Airport Rail Link is enabling us to move forward the initial works for Fastlink.

Autism

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will produce a national strategy for autism.

Shona Robison: Scotland’s citizens have benefited from the equivalent of an autism strategy from 2002 until the present. This has delivered improved diagnosis and assessment, extensive awareness raising and training, development of innovative services and education resources and a programme of national and international research.

  The focus of our work has now shifted to ensuring the needs of people on the autism spectrum are addressed through other policies and legislation, whilst not neglecting specialist needs as they arise.

Construction Industry

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it made a detailed representation to the Office of Fair Trading’s investigation into the construction industry.

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of fines of construction companies by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) amounting to £129.5 million, whether it made a submission to the OFT prior to the OFT issuing its Information note to procuring entities in the public and private sectors regarding the OFT’s decision on bid rigging in the construction industry .

John Swinney: As noted in the answer to question S3W-13539 on 4 June 2009, the Scottish Government did not make a submission to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) prior to the issue of the OFT information note. OFT later confirmed that, in order to maintain strict confidentiality it did not disclose the emerging findings of its investigation of alleged anti-competitive practices in the construction industry, or the timing of their release, with any other public body prior to the publication of the Statement of Objections on 17 April 2008.

  The OFT has also confirmed that as the investigation related to infringements which took place in England, it did not seek or obtain a detailed representation from the Scottish Government prior to the issue of the decision on 22 September 2009.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many construction companies fined by the Office of Fair Trading are working on Scottish Government funded procurement projects.

John Swinney: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27179 by John Swinney on 23 September 2009, whether it is aware that, under the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) (Scotland) Order 1997, deceased tenants and their executors are not treated in the same way as deceased owners.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27179 by John Swinney on 23 September 2009, whether it is aware that, under the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) (Scotland) Order 1997, deceased tenants and their executors do not enjoy the same rights or protections as deceased owners.

John Swinney: The government’s intention in the 1997 Order is that deceased tenants and their executors, and deceased owners and their executors, should both have exemption if they meet the relevant criteria. We are not aware that this is not the case. If the member can provide details of where the Order is not working as had been intended, I would be happy to investigate further.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27179 by John Swinney on 23 September 2009, whether it considers that deceased tenants and their executors should be treated in the same way as deceased owners in relation to council tax exemption.

John Swinney: The Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) (Scotland) Order 1997 sets out the circumstances when a dwelling is exempt from council tax. The exemption provided for deceased owners and their executors is intended to apply equally to deceased tenants and their executors.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27179 by John Swinney on 23 September 2009, whether it plans to revise the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) (Scotland) Order 1997 so that deceased tenants and their executors may enjoy the same rights or protections as deceased owners.

John Swinney: As deceased tenants and their executors, and deceased owners and their executors should already have exemption under the 1997 Order, we currently have no plans to revise the Order.

  However, if the member is aware that the 1997 Order is not working as had been intended, I would be happy to investigate the matter further.

Drug Misuse

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on needle-exchange programmes in pharmacies since 2007.

Shona Robison: The following table details funding that has been provided to NHS boards over the period 2007-08 to 2009-10, in relation to (i) Blood-borne Virus Prevention (BBV prevention), (ii) Drug Treatment Services and (iii) prevention elements of the Hepatitis C Phase 2 Action Plan. Each of these funding streams may be used locally to deliver injecting equipment provision (IEP) services, but it is not possible to identify nationally how much of this funding is used for these services.

  

Funding Stream
NHS Board Allocations


2007-08
(£ million)
2008-09
(£ million)
2009-10
(£ million)


Blood-borne Virus Prevention Funding 
8.945
8.9451
8.945


Drug Treatment Funding
23.8
24.7
28


Hepatitis C Phase 2 Action Plan – Prevention funding
22
0.6
3.4



  Notes:

  1. In 2008-09, NHS boards also received an additional separate allocation of £400,000 for BBV prevention.

  2. Phase 2 Hepatitis C Action Plan launched in May 2008. Funding for Hepatitis C in 2007-08 relates to all funding provided to NHS boards in support of the Phase 1 Hepatitis C Action Plan and not just funding that was used solely for prevention activities, as this was not separated out in allocations.

  Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on needle-exchange programmes in pharmacies in the east end of Glasgow since 2007.

Shona Robison: The following table details funding that has been provided to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde over the period 2007-08 to 2009-10, in relation (i) Blood-borne Virus Prevention (BBV prevention), (ii) Drug Treatment Services and (iii) community based prevention elements of the Hepatitis C Phase 2 Action Plan. Each of these funding streams may have been used locally to deliver injecting equipment provision (IEP) services, but it is not possible to identify nationally how much of this funding is used for these services in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. It is not possible to identify how much funding was directed towards services in the east end of Glasgow.

  

Funding Stream
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Allocations


2007-08 (£ million)
2008-09 (£ million)
2009-10 (£ million)


Blood-borne Virus Prevention Funding 
2.268
2.2681
2.268


Drug Treatment Funding
8.114
8.422
9.559


Hepatitis C Phase 2 Action Plan 
0.6962
0.192
1.107



  Notes:

  1. In 2008-09, Greater Glasgow and Clyde also received an additional £101,419 for BBV prevention.

  2. Phase 2 Hepatitis C Action Plan launched in May 2008. Funding for Hepatitis C in 2007-08 relates to all funding provided to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in support of the Phase 1 Hepatitis C Action Plan, and not just funding that was used solely for prevention activities, as this was not separated out in allocations.

Economy

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost (a) was to build and (b) is to maintain its Scotland Performs website.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-14245 and S3W-14246, on 16 July 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has budgeted to spend on advertising the Scotland Performs website to the public.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it promotes the Scotland Performs website internally and to its agencies and what the annual cost of doing so is.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14246 on 16 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Finance

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what written representations it made to the UK Government on (a) financial services regulations and (b) bankers’ bonuses between 15 September 2008 and 20 September 2009 and whether it will publish any such representations.

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what written representations it made to the European Commission on (a) financial services regulations and (b) bankers’ bonuses between 15 September 2008 and 20 September 2009 and whether it will publish any such representations.

John Swinney: Scottish Government officials are closely monitoring developments on work to reform financial services regulation at UK, EU and international levels.

  We will work closely with the Financial Services Advisory Board, which provides a focus for discussion of issues of this nature, to assess proposals as they emerge and will respond as necessary.

Glasgow Airport Rail Link

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-1909 by Alex Salmond on 24 September 2009 ( Official Report , c. 19971), whether it wishes to clarify the statement that spending associated with Glasgow Airport Rail Link project would include removing the runway at Glasgow Airport.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-1909 by Alex Salmond on 24 September 2009 ( Official Report , c. 19971), whether Transport Scotland advised the First Minister that the runway at Glasgow Airport had to be moved as part of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-1909 by Alex Salmond on 24 September 2009 ( Official Report , c. 19971), whether discussions were held with BAA to advise them that the Glasgow Airport runway would have to be moved to make way for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Stewart Stevenson: The factual point that was made was that the Glasgow Airport Rail Link costs included £70 million of work at Glasgow airport, before a single metre of track was even laid. However, I can clarify that at no time was there any consideration of, or requirement to, move the runway at Glasgow Airport.

  Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which budget lines will benefit from the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, broken down by year.

John Swinney: Savings from the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link will be used to meet the pressures on the Scottish Government capital budget as a whole.

Local Government

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to monitor the registers of interests of elected members in local government.

John Swinney: Councils have a duty to establish, maintain and make available for public inspection a register of interests of their councillors which the Councillors’ Code of Conduct requires to be registered. They must also appoint a proper officer to maintain the register. It is the councillor’s personal responsibility to ensure that he/she acts at all times in compliance with the provisions of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.

  The Standards Commission for Scotland is the body responsible for the enforcement of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct and will investigate any alleged breaches of the code.

Prison Service

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions interpreters without specific interpreting qualifications have been provided by (a) the Scottish Prison Service or (b) its contractors.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service has stipulated the need for interpreting qualifications for those it employs to provide such services.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS’s normal service provider’s interpreters have either a formal qualification or can evidence a minimum 1,000 hours of interpreting experience.

  On rare occasions, in order to meet urgent needs, individuals who may not meet these criteria have provided these services.

Procurement

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the annual budget and running costs of Procurement Scotland in each of the last five years.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of staff employed by Procurement Scotland in each of the last five years.

John Swinney: Procurement Scotland was officially launched in March 2008, with the task of developing and implementing procurement strategies for national Category A commodities on behalf of all Scottish public bodies. It was established as part of the Public Procurement Reform Programme and in response to the Review of Public Sector Procurement in Scotland  report, which was published in March 2006.

  The establishment of Procurement Scotland as a new division in the Scottish Government Scottish Procurement Directorate began in July 2007. Therefore, information on the number of staff, budget and running costs is only available from financial year 2007-08. Details are given in the following table:

  

 
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Number of Staff
31
38
40


Budget
£3,723,000
£2,745,000
£2,445,000


Expenditure
£2,457,111
£2,157,955
£1,079,123*



  Note: *Expenditure up to end September 2009.

  To date, Procurement Scotland has secured savings of £45.9 million over the current spending review period.

Rail Services

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it subsidises food and drink trolley services on rail journeys running north and west out of Inverness

Stewart Stevenson: The provision of food and drink trolley services on trains is not part of the specification for services contracted in the franchise agreement and is a commercial matter for ScotRail. The Scottish Government does not therefore subsidise food and drink trolley services on rail journeys running north and west out of Inverness.

Scottish Government Communications

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21592 by John Swinney on 20 March 2009, on what occasions it has been described as the SNP Government in official publications and press releases since May 2007.

John Swinney: The search facility on the corporate website indicates the term "SNP Government" has been used in seven official publications and two press releases since May 2007.

Volunteering

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many volunteer groups there have been in each year since 1999.

John Swinney: The number of voluntary organisations in Scotland, which by definition will use volunteers in some capacity, can not be identified with accuracy. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has estimated there may be about 45,000 and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has over 23,800 charities on its register. However, neither of these figures will include the huge number of informal local groups who come together to pursue a common interest.

  Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many volunteers there have been in each year since 1999.

John Swinney: The essence of volunteering is that people just do it, often outside any formal setting or organisation, and without any requirement to register. Consequently, there can be no precise quantification of the numbers.

  Research by Volunteer Development Scotland suggests that the number of volunteers in Scotland lies in the range 1.3 to 2 million. The Scottish Household Survey also collects some information about rates of volunteering.